3.4 GPA, fair ECs, CA - chances?

[hydrazine510]

Hello everyone,

I'm a California resident (Asian male) that went to a top tier public university. I was unsure with medicine, as an undergraduate and chose to pursue chemistry. Excelled at organic chemistry but struggled with physics and some of the upper division math courses which dropped my gpa to 3.4.

In the background, my father has had Parkinson's since I was 14, and my mother developed a gambling addiction towards the end of my junior-senior year. After 2 years out of university and coming to terms with these issues, and working with my family to overcome them - I've found a sincere motivation to pursue medicine.

However, I know my gpa is fairly low for a ORM and my professional career so far (education and public health research) don't exactly say MD material. Below are also some stats.

- 200+ clinical volunteering
- 4 years organic chemistry teaching experience
- Held 2 Presidencies for two different service organizations
- Two years of work in academic research (1 in PH, 1 in Radiopharmaceuticals)
- first-generation american
- low socio-economic status

What would my MCAT scores have to be to have a chance? Postbacs aren't a viable option due to a need for employment for supporting family. Any suggestions, critiques, or thoughts will be appreciated. Thank you for your time.

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[change4med]

For MD I think you'd need something around a 513+?
If you're okay with going the DO route, I think anything 507+ would be pretty solid?

This is assuming you're applying broadly and not that you only want to get into the top schools etc. I personally think you'd have an ok shot at some schools with those scores and those ECs (and your letters of course!)

 

[LuluLovesMe]

I'm going to disagree with the above poster. A 3.4 is below 10% percentile for most private schools. You're going to need an MCAT > 520 and even that isn't ideal because if you can get an MCAT that high you can fix your GPA too.

For DO, just get over a 510

 

[goldy490]

I'd say you've got a shot OP. I'm not sure of the official adcom opinion on this, but if your bad grades were in something other than the corse sciences/pre-reqs thats better than having them in things like into bio and chem. I'd say apply broadly to many OOS private schools and new schools with lower end stats and you should have some luck. Contrary to what LuLu said above, 3.3-3.4 is about the 10th percentile for most lower end private schools. Aim for an MCAT at the top 90th percentile of most of these school's ranges to balance the weak GPA and show your confidence in the sciences. That'd be a 34+ (93rd percentile).

Some schools to consider:

NYMC
Tulane
Va Tech Carilion
Albany
oakland
Western Michigan
CMS rosalind franklin
TCMC
Quinnipiac
Eastern Virginia (OOS friendly)
West Virginia (OOS Friendly)
Indiana (OOS friendly)
VCU
Georgetown
State Schools

 

[GrapesofRath]

I'm going to disagree with the above poster. A 3.4 is below 10% percentile for most private schools. You're going to need an MCAT > 520 and even that isn't ideal because if you can get an MCAT that high you can fix your GPA too.

For DO, just get over a 510

Uhhhh and what exactly makes you say this

 

[GrapesofRath]

The biggest question here is what is your GPA trend? A 3.4 in itself is not some kiss of death, it's what it says about an applicant that is important. Someone with a 3.4 but who has 3+ semesters of 3.7 type work can certainly have the potential to be competitive depending on other parts of their app and with a good list/MCAT score. Someone with a 3.4 who was a 3.2 student to end college? It'll be much harder. Context, both within your transcript for grade trends as well as other parts of your app, matters here.

A significant part of why the majority of people with 3.4's aren't accepted to medical school is because their academic qualifications are not as high as the competition dictates they need to be and are not made up for in other ways. One way to show your academic credentials are strong enough with a 3.4 is a solid upward trend. Another is a good, above average MCAT score. Honestly, both is by far the most preferable. Also very relevant here is what's your sGPA? If your sGPA is above a 3.4, that will be to your benefit.

The other question is do you have all your pre-reqs done? Because if you don't have the pre-reqs done you will have to find somewhere to take remaining classes

All in all you can look at the track record of Asians in recent years at the top of WAMC thread. From 2010-2012, 40% of ORM applicants with a 3.4 and 31 were accepted. Number goes up to 50% for a 33. And close to 60% of 35. I would expect these odds to be a bit lower now given it is a bit more competitive than in 2010-2012. IF you don't have an upward trend, I would expect those numbers to go down for sure. Being from CA won't help either. But alas, worrying about what you can't control serves no purpose. Aim for the highest MCAT you can and to apply when you have the best application possible. As is, it's hard enough to really pinpoint people's chances, particularly when there is so much key info we don't know about you and your academic record.

 

[md-2020]

I'm going to disagree with the above poster. A 3.4 is below 10% percentile for most private schools. You're going to need an MCAT > 520 and even that isn't ideal because if you can get an MCAT that high you can fix your GPA too.

For DO, just get over a 510

I disagree with both numbers. 3.4 isn't great but you most definitely do not need a 520+ to get into any MD school. Maybe 513+, but that's about as high as I'd go. 3.4/3.4/513 is fine, esp since most of OPs bad grades weren't pre-reqs.

3.4 is solid for DO, definitely do not need a 510+ for that either (that's like a 31ish).

 

[candbgirl]

esp since most of OPs bad grades weren't pre-reqs).

But OP
Actually said he struggled in physics, math erc. But he did fine in O Chem and that's why his GPA is so low. So...

 

[md-2020]

But OP
Actually said he struggled in physics, math erc. But he did fine in O Chem and that's why his GPA is so low. So...

Math is not a pre req for the vast majority of schools. I've heard many doctors negatively refer to physics as well. I think adcoms care less about your math/phys grades within "BCPM," as I received some pretty crummy Calc letters and it hasn't really affected me at all (no interviewer has even brought it up). I doubt the same would be true if I'd ****ed up Bio or Chem.

Excelling in Orgo is a much bigger + than some math struggles is a - is what I'm saying.

3.4 isn't as low as people on here want to think, either. It's still a B+/A- average....

 

[tea guzzling traveler]

I would also probably add in some service to your community, as schools that would be willing to overlook your relatively ok grades would generally be in the service oriented schools (the top tier research schools might be harder to get into). That plus a good MCAT and you can probably get into a MD. As MD admissions are pretty brutal, it's also worth looking into DO, but only do DO if you are actually interested in it (for the sake of all the people who are).